Former Premier League footballer Christian Atsu is amongst those trapped under rubble in Turkey after a huge earthquake, according to reports.
A search and rescue operation is underway after Atsu, who formerly played for Chelsea and Newcastle United, was caught up in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The 65-cap Ghana international joined Super Lig club Hataysport last summer.
Several members of his new team had to be rescued after the earthquake and Atsu is now reported to be amongst those still missing as a search and rescue operation gets underway. The club's sporting director, Taner Savut, is also trapped as efforts to free them to continue.
Atsu joined Chelsea as a youngster in 2013 from Porto before being sent on a number of loan spells. He spent time at Everton and Bournemouth before making a permanent switch to Newcastle United in 2017 having never played a Premier League game for Chelsea.
He left the Magpies having played over 100 games in 2021 to join Saudi side Al-Raed but departed the Middle East for Turkey in the summer. He scored his first goal for the club this weekend, just hours before the earthquake struck.
More than 1,300 people have lost their lives in the disaster, with a further 6,000 injured, according to officials. A massive aftershock with a magnitude of 7.5 hit Turkey’s south hours after the original quake. Reports say it was felt once again in Syria and also Iraqi Kurdistan.
Other footballers and sportspeople have been caught up in the chaos. The wife of Hatayspor manager Volkan Demirel shared a tearful message after a massive aftershock with a magnitude of 7.5 hit Turkey’s south hours after the original quake.